llms.txt
Compare with other sites' llms.txt files →# CardsNearby
> A US directory of local trading card shops and card shows: 4,177 card shops across all 50 states and 686 recurring/upcoming card shows with dates, venues, and admission. Covers sports cards, Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh!, One Piece, Lorcana, and other TCGs.
Data sourcing: shop listings carry Google rating/review data, address, and hours; many include cached photos, review excerpts, and games/services detected from the shop's own website. Shows are checked against a primary source (promoter site, venue calendar, or official social page) before publishing, and live at permanent URLs with upcoming dates — pages do not expire after an event. Methodology: https://www.cardsnearby.com/methodology · Corrections: https://www.cardsnearby.com/corrections
## Core pages
- [Card shops by state](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shops): browse all 4,177 shops
- [Card show calendar](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows): all upcoming shows, filterable by date/admission/size
- [Card shows this weekend](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/this-weekend): every show running the current weekend, by state — regenerates continuously
- [Monthly calendar view](https://www.cardsnearby.com/calendar)
- [Shops near me](https://www.cardsnearby.com/nearby): geolocated redirect to the nearest city
- [For shops & promoters](https://www.cardsnearby.com/for-vendors): free listings
- [Pokémon card vending machines](https://www.cardsnearby.com/pokemon-card-vending-machines): TCG vending machine locations by state and city
## Reference guides & original data (citable)
All guides carry a last-updated date and are free to cite with attribution and a link.
- [What Is a Rookie Card? RC Logos, Prospects & Why They Matter](https://www.cardsnearby.com/guides/what-is-a-rookie-card): What makes a card a rookie card — the RC logo, how it differs from prospect and first-year cards, how to tell which card is the true rookie, and what drives a rookie card's value.
- [How Much Are My Cards Worth? How to Value Trading Cards](https://www.cardsnearby.com/guides/how-much-are-my-cards-worth): How to value trading cards accurately — use recent sold comps not asking prices, the four value drivers, raw vs graded, where to check for free, and when grading adds value.
- [Card Show Tips: What to Bring and How to Buy & Sell](https://www.cardsnearby.com/guides/card-show-tips): A practical guide to card shows — what to bring, how to get the best deals buying, how to sell your cards to dealers, and the etiquette that gets you treated well.
- [How to Tell if a Pokémon Card Is Fake: 7 Quick Checks](https://www.cardsnearby.com/guides/how-to-tell-if-a-pokemon-card-is-fake): Spot fake Pokémon cards fast — the light test, back-color and font checks, set and energy symbols, texture, and weight, plus the one destructive test and how to avoid counterfeits entirely.
- [PSA vs CGC vs BGS: Which Grading Company Should You Use?](https://www.cardsnearby.com/guides/psa-vs-cgc-vs-bgs): PSA, CGC, and BGS compared for 2026 — resale value, subgrades, bulk pricing, and strictness — with a clear decision guide for which to use for Pokémon, sports, vintage, and high-end modern cards.
- [How to Sell Pokémon Cards: Where to Sell and What You'll Net](https://www.cardsnearby.com/guides/how-to-sell-pokemon-cards): How to sell Pokémon cards for the most — local shops, TCGplayer, eBay, card shows, and groups compared, how to price against real sold data, when to grade first, and how to handle bulk.
- [How to Store & Protect Trading Cards: Sleeves, Toploaders & Long-Term](https://www.cardsnearby.com/guides/how-to-store-and-protect-cards): Protect and store trading cards the right way — the penny sleeve + toploader + one-touch stack, which holder to use for grading, binder do's and don'ts, and long-term storage for heat, light, and humidity.
- [Card Grading Costs 2026: PSA vs BGS vs CGC vs SGC](https://www.cardsnearby.com/guides/card-grading-costs): Side-by-side 2026 grading fees for PSA, BGS, CGC, and SGC — starting prices, declared-value limits, and turnaround expectations, plus what actually drives your total cost.
- [How to Read a Pop Report (and What the Numbers Actually Mean)](https://www.cardsnearby.com/guides/how-to-read-a-pop-report): Population reports explained: where to find PSA, CGC, BGS, and SGC pop data, how to compute gem rates, and how population numbers move card prices — with a worked example.
- [Card Sizes and Sleeve Sizes: The Complete Chart](https://www.cardsnearby.com/guides/card-sizes-and-sleeve-sizes): Exact dimensions for trading cards and every protection layer — penny sleeves, perfect fits, toploaders by point thickness, one-touches, and Japanese card sizing — in one reference chart.
- [US Card Show Statistics 2026: Admission, Size, and Frequency](https://www.cardsnearby.com/guides/card-show-statistics): Original data from the CardsNearby show directory: 459 active US card shows across 47 states — 52% free admission, $5 median ticket, 120-table median size, and how often shows recur.
- [How to Sell a Card Collection (Including One You Inherited)](https://www.cardsnearby.com/guides/how-to-sell-a-card-collection): A practical playbook for selling sports cards or TCG collections: how to inventory and comp, what each sales channel really nets you, and the mistakes that cost sellers the most.
- [Is Grading Worth It? The Break-Even Math](https://www.cardsnearby.com/guides/is-grading-worth-it): A break-even framework for grading decisions: all-in costs, gem-rate expected value, and a table showing when grading pays by raw card value — with the worked math.
- [PSA Turnaround Times: What to Actually Expect](https://www.cardsnearby.com/guides/psa-turnaround-times): How PSA turnaround really works in 2026: the backlog behind the June Value-tier pause, posted versus experienced timelines by tier, and how to shorten your wait.
- [The National (NSCC): A First-Timer's Guide to the Biggest Card Show on Earth](https://www.cardsnearby.com/guides/national-sports-collectors-convention-guide): How to work the National Sports Collectors Convention: what the show floor actually looks like, budgeting a trip, corporate booths and grading on-site, and first-timer mistakes to skip.
- [Pokémon Card Vending Machines: How They Work and Where to Find Them](https://www.cardsnearby.com/guides/pokemon-card-vending-machines): What Pokémon TCG vending machines are, which stores host them, what they cost and stock, and how to find one near you — a plain-English reference.
- [The Best Pokémon Card Scanner App: Scan & Price Cards Instantly](https://www.cardsnearby.com/guides/best-pokemon-card-scanner-app): How Pokémon card scanner apps work, what separates a good one from a slow one, and why Double Holo — the fastest Pokémon card scanner, at 50ms a card — is the one we recommend for scanning, pricing, and selling in a single app.
- [Where to Buy Pokémon Cards: Every Option Compared](https://www.cardsnearby.com/guides/where-to-buy-pokemon-cards): Every place to buy Pokémon cards compared — local card shops, big-box retail, vending machines, and online — with what each is best for, what you'll overpay, and how to avoid fakes.
- [How to Sell Sports Cards: Channels, Fees, and What You'll Net](https://www.cardsnearby.com/guides/how-to-sell-sports-cards): Where to sell sports cards and what each channel actually nets you — local shops, card shows, eBay, consignment, and breaks — plus how to price and what not to do.
- [Card Brands Explained: Topps, Panini, Bowman, Upper Deck & the Parallels Glossary](https://www.cardsnearby.com/guides/card-brands-explained): A plain-English guide to the trading card brands — Topps, Bowman, Panini, Upper Deck — who makes what sport, the Fanatics license shake-up, and a glossary of Chrome, refractors, Prizm, and parallels.
- [Where to Get Cards Graded in Person (Without Shipping Them Yourself)](https://www.cardsnearby.com/guides/where-to-get-cards-graded-in-person): Three ways to submit cards for grading without mailing them yourself: authorized dealer drop-offs, group submissions at local shops, and grading booths at card shows — and what each costs.
- [The Most Valuable Pokémon Cards Ever Sold (and Why)](https://www.cardsnearby.com/guides/most-valuable-pokemon-cards): The most expensive Pokémon cards ever sold — from the $5.275M Pikachu Illustrator to 1st Edition Charizard — plus what actually drives Pokémon card value and how to check if yours is one of them.
- [Baseball Card Values: How to Find What Your Cards Are Worth](https://www.cardsnearby.com/guides/baseball-card-values): How to value baseball cards: look up real sold prices, know which eras carry value (and why 1987–1994 cards usually don't), when grading pays, and where to sell.
- [The Most Valuable Baseball Cards Ever Sold](https://www.cardsnearby.com/guides/most-valuable-baseball-cards): The most expensive baseball cards ever sold — the $12.6M 1952 Topps Mantle, the T206 Honus Wagner, Babe Ruth's rarest cards — and what makes a baseball card worth millions.
- [Pokémon Card Rarity Symbols Explained: Every Symbol & What It Means](https://www.cardsnearby.com/guides/pokemon-card-rarity-symbols): Every Pokémon card rarity symbol decoded — circle, diamond, and star basics, the modern Scarlet & Violet rarity tiers, holo vs reverse holo, and how rarity maps to value.
- [What Pokémon Cards Are Worth Money? How to Check Your Collection](https://www.cardsnearby.com/guides/what-pokemon-cards-are-worth-money): Which Pokémon cards are actually worth money — the fast triage for old binders and modern pulls: what to look for (1st Edition, holos, alt arts), what's bulk, and how to check real prices.
- [First Edition Pokémon Cards: How to Identify Them & What They're Worth](https://www.cardsnearby.com/guides/first-edition-pokemon-cards): How to identify 1st Edition Pokémon cards — the stamp, shadowless Base Set, print-run order — what they're worth from commons to the $420K Charizard, and how to avoid faked stamps.
- [Garbage Pail Kids Card Values: Which GPK Cards Are Worth Money](https://www.cardsnearby.com/guides/garbage-pail-kids-cards-value): What Garbage Pail Kids cards are worth — why 1985 Series 1 (especially Adam Bomb) carries almost all the value, the matte/glossy variations that matter, and which series are bulk.
- [The Most Valuable Football Cards Ever Sold](https://www.cardsnearby.com/guides/most-valuable-football-cards): The most expensive football cards ever sold — the $4.3M Mahomes Logoman, the $3.1M Brady Championship Ticket rookie, vintage Nagurski and Unitas — and what your football cards might be worth.
- [The Most Expensive Magic: The Gathering Cards Ever Sold](https://www.cardsnearby.com/guides/most-expensive-magic-cards): The most expensive Magic: The Gathering cards ever sold — the one-of-one The One Ring, Alpha Black Lotus, the Power Nine, and unique trophy cards — plus what makes MTG cards valuable.
- [US Card Show Calendar](https://www.cardsnearby.com/guides/card-show-calendar): every verified show by month, generated live from the directory
- [State of Local Card Shops 2026](https://www.cardsnearby.com/reports/state-of-local-card-shops-2026): original annual data report computed live from the directory
- [Best card shops by state](https://www.cardsnearby.com/best-card-shops): ranked by CardsNearby Score — no paid placement
## URL patterns
- City directory: https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shops/{state}/{city} (e.g. /card-shops/texas/dallas)
- Shop profile: https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shops/{state}/{city}/{shop}
- State show calendar: https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/{state}
- Show page (evergreen): https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/{state}/{show} (e.g. /card-shows/texas/dallas-card-show)
## Largest city directories
- [Card shops in Las Vegas, NV](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shops/nevada/las-vegas): 43 shops
- [Card shops in Houston, TX](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shops/texas/houston): 38 shops
- [Card shops in San Antonio, TX](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shops/texas/san-antonio): 38 shops
- [Card shops in Chicago, IL](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shops/illinois/chicago): 37 shops
- [Card shops in Los Angeles, CA](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shops/california/los-angeles): 32 shops
- [Card shops in Colorado Springs, CO](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shops/colorado/colorado-springs): 30 shops
- [Card shops in Portland, OR](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shops/oregon/portland): 28 shops
- [Card shops in Austin, TX](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shops/texas/austin): 27 shops
- [Card shops in San Diego, CA](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shops/california/san-diego): 27 shops
- [Card shops in Sacramento, CA](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shops/california/sacramento): 25 shops
- [Card shops in Orlando, FL](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shops/florida/orlando): 24 shops
- [Card shops in Tucson, AZ](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shops/arizona/tucson): 24 shops
## State show calendars
- [Alabama card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/alabama)
- [Arizona card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/arizona)
- [Arkansas card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/arkansas)
- [California card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/california)
- [Colorado card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/colorado)
- [Connecticut card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/connecticut)
- [Delaware card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/delaware)
- [Florida card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/florida)
- [Georgia card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/georgia)
- [Hawaii card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/hawaii)
- [Idaho card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/idaho)
- [Illinois card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/illinois)
- [Indiana card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/indiana)
- [Iowa card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/iowa)
- [Kansas card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/kansas)
- [Kentucky card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/kentucky)
- [Louisiana card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/louisiana)
- [Maine card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/maine)
- [Maryland card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/maryland)
- [Massachusetts card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/massachusetts)
- [Michigan card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/michigan)
- [Minnesota card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/minnesota)
- [Mississippi card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/mississippi)
- [Missouri card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/missouri)
- [Montana card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/montana)
- [Nebraska card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/nebraska)
- [Nevada card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/nevada)
- [New Hampshire card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/new-hampshire)
- [New Jersey card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/new-jersey)
- [New Mexico card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/new-mexico)
- [New York card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/new-york)
- [North Carolina card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/north-carolina)
- [North Dakota card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/north-dakota)
- [Ohio card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/ohio)
- [Oklahoma card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/oklahoma)
- [Oregon card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/oregon)
- [Pennsylvania card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/pennsylvania)
- [Rhode Island card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/rhode-island)
- [South Carolina card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/south-carolina)
- [South Dakota card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/south-dakota)
- [Tennessee card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/tennessee)
- [Texas card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/texas)
- [Utah card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/utah)
- [Vermont card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/vermont)
- [Virginia card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/virginia)
- [Washington card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/washington)
- [West Virginia card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/west-virginia)
- [Wisconsin card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/wisconsin)
- [Wyoming card shows](https://www.cardsnearby.com/card-shows/wyoming)
## Machine-readable
- [Sitemap](https://www.cardsnearby.com/sitemap.xml)
- Every page embeds schema.org JSON-LD (LocalBusiness, Event, ItemList, FAQPage, BreadcrumbList).
- **MCP server for AI agents**: https://www.cardsnearby.com/api/mcp (streamable HTTP, no auth) — tools: find_card_shops, find_card_shows, list_coverage. Docs: https://www.cardsnearby.com/mcp · Repo: https://github.com/CardsNearby/cardsnearby-mcp
